Covering device for protecting the guiding paths of machine tools

ABSTRACT

In combination with guideway means of a machine tool for protecting said guideway means, a slide cover which includes: a plurality of box-shaped members telescopically movable into and out of each other; each of said box-shaped members comprising a top plate and two sideplates extending in the longitudinal direction of said guideway means, each of said box-shaped members also comprising supporting plate means adapted to engage and to be supported by said guideway means, one of the outer ones of said box-shaped members being provided with an end face wall and being adapted to be connected to a reciprocable member of said machine tool; and coupling means between at least two adjacent box-shaped members and between said end face wall and the next box-shaped member, said coupling means being operable automatically to couple the respective adjacent box-shaped members to each other in response to the said respective boxshaped members with the coupling means therebetween having been telescoped into each other to their possible maximum extent to thereby permit all box-shaped members when telescoped into each other to move beyond the end of said guideway so as to form a cantilever.

United States Patent [72] lnventors [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee 32 Priority 1 1 Friedrich l-lascheck Weidenau;

Kurt Loos, Dreis-Tiefenbach, Germany 780,340

Dec. 2, 1968 May 11, 1971 Kabelschlepp G.m.b.11

Siegen (Westphalia), Germany Dec. 14, 1967 Gennany [54] COVERING DEVICE FOR PROTECTING THE GUIDING PATHS OF MACHINE TOOLS (CWPC); 160/223, 197, 202, 193, 221, 222, 224; 74/608 References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1903 Brousseau 6/ 1904 Lacey 5/1905 Williams... 833,058 10/ 1906 Kidd 1/1908 Reid 160/222X 160/ 222x 160/202X 160/202X Primary Examiner-Peter M. Caun Attorney-Walter Becker ABSTRACT: In combination with guideway means of a machine tool for protecting said guideway means, a slide cover which includes: a plurality of box-shaped members telescopically movable into and out of each other; each of said box-shaped members comprising a top plate and two sideplates extending in the longitudinal direction of said guideway means, each of said box-shaped members also comprising supporting plate means adapted to engage and to be supported by said guideway means, one of the outer ones of said box-shaped members being provided with an end face wall and being adapted to be connected to a reciprocable member of said machine tool; and coupling means between at least two adjacent box-shaped members and between said end face wall and the next box-shaped member, said coupling means being operable automatically to couple the respective adjacent box-shaped members to each other in response to the said respective box-shaped members with the coupling means therebetween having been telescoped into each other to their possible maximum extent to thereby permit all box-shaped members when telescoped into each other to move beyond the end of said guideway so as to form a cantilever.

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INVENTORS: 7971-44; 270.1140? COVERING DEVICE FOR PROTECTING THE GUIDING PATHS OF MACHINE TOOLS The present invention relates to slide coversfor protecting guideways of machine tools; and more specifically concerns such slide covers which comprise a plurality of boxes adapted in a telescopic manner to be movedone into the other,while each of said boxes hasa cover wall, two sidewalls extending in have become known. With heretofore known slide" covers of 3 the type involved, the outer end-box is connected either to the end of the guideway or to a bracket at the end of the guideway, because otherwise thereexists'the dangerthat the entire slide cover is moved beyond'the end of the guidewayand bends. Thus, if the useful length of the guideway atboth sides of the carriage or table is not to be shortened by one box,

i.e. the total length of two boxes, it is necessary at bothendsof the guide path to provide brackets each'h'aving the length of a guiding box. However, these brackets increase the total'length of the guideway and thus increase the weight of the machine tool.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a slide cover for protecting the guideway; of machine' t'ools', which will overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.-

It is another object of this invention to provide a slidecover for machine tools which will be connected exclusively.to the carriage or'table movable on the guideway of the'machine tool and which will be able in pushed togetherp'osition in a manner of a cantilever to extend beyond the guideway.

It is still another object'of this invention to design a slide cover of the above-mentioned type in such a-waythatthe' end-' box will detach itself'from the end of the guideway-when the entire slide cover has been pushed'togeth'er'.

It is also an object of theinvention so to designthe'boxes that in their pushed together condition they will be heldtogether against the accelerating forces and force of gravity occurring when the carriage or-table is-being moved.

These and other objects and advantages of 'the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a section along trace H of FIG. 3 of a'slide-cover' comprising four boxes, with magnets used as coupling devices; the slide cover being shown in the telescoped condition;

FIG. 2 illustrates the same slide cover'in'the extended"condition;

FIG. 3 illustrates the same slide cover cut along trace III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the same slide cover cut-along tract lV-IV of FIG. I;

FIG. 5 is a section along trace V-V of FIG. -7 of a=four-boxslide cover in the telescoped condition; with a mechanical bolt-type lock as coupling device;

FIG. 6 illustrates the same slide cover in-the extended condition;

FIG. 7 is a section along trace VII-VII of FIG. 5 through the same slide cover;

FIG. 8is an enlarged scrap view, as a section'along trace VIII-VIII of FIG. 9, of the same slide cover to illustrate the mechanical lock;

FIG. 9-is a larger scrap view of the same slide cover to illustrate further the mechanical lock, in the'form of a perspective view;

FIG.- I0 is a section alongtrace X-X in FIG. 12 of a fourbox slide cover with two'carrier arms, in the telescoped conditron;

FIG. II illustrates the same slide cover, in the extended condition;

FIG. 12 is a section along trace XII-Xllof FIG. of the sameslide cover;

FIG. 13' is a plan view of a sectionalong trace XIII-XIII of FIG. 10 of the same slide cover;

FIG. 14 is a slide cover consisting of four boxes, in the telescoped condition, employing staggered magnets as coupling devices, the illustrationrepresenting a section along trace XIV-XIV of FIG. 16;

FIG. 15is the same slide cover in the extended condition;

FIG. 16 is a section along trace XVIXVI of FIG: 14 of the same slide cover;

FIG. 17 is a plan view of a section along trace XVII-XVII of FIG. 14 of the same slide cover;

FIG. 18 isa four-box slide cover where the smallest box is fixed to a slide, shown in the telescoped'condition, the slide cover employing magnets as coupling devices, the illustration representing a section along trace XVIII-XVIII;

FIG. 19 illustrates the same slide cover in the extended con- 1 dition;

FIGI 20 is a section of the same slide cover along trace XX-XX of FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 'is a plan view of a section of the same slide cover along trace XXI-XXI of FIG. 18. i

Starting with a heretofore known slide cover comprising a plurality-of telescopically arranged boxes each havinga cover wall, two sidewalls extending in the longitudinal direction of the guideway with guiding rails, and a supporting wall with rollersand the like while an'end-box is connected to a movable table or the like, the present invention is characterized primarilyin that all boxes are displaceable beyond the end of the guideway, and that between the supporting wallsrof the individual boxes and between the end of the guideway and an outer end face of the free end-box there are arranged positive and/or frictional coupling devices. In this connection it is. necessary that the adhering force of the coupling device arranged between the guide path and'the free end-box exceeds the total of therolling and sliding resistances on all boxes in order'to make sure that the free end-box detaches itselffrom the guide way only after the boxesof the slide cover have been completely-telescoped into each other;

The slide cover according to the invention has the advantage that 'the heretoforenecessary brackets are nolonger needed. Since during; normal operation ofthe machinetool, the usefullength of the slideway has to be fully utilized only under exceptional conditions, the machine tool, when disregarding said exceptional conditions requires onlya length equal to the useful length of the machineway less the length .of two boxes. Afurther advantage consists in that with machine tools of 'this type the entire slideway length can still be fully utilized if the. slide cover is subsequently mounted on the machine, and there are nopossibilities of fixing the brackets.

According .to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the. coupling de'vicescomprise magnets, in particular permanent magnets, which'may befrxed to the support walls or platesof the individual boxes and on the inside of the end face of the free end-box.

According to a further embodiment of the invention'the coupling devices-may also consist of a mechanical holder or locking means or suction cup means. This mechanicalholder may consist most conveniently of a locking pin and a bolt-type lock, the latter comprising a bolt which can be displaced in guiding means, transverse to-the direction of the slide ways, against springpressure. Also, in this case, the locking forcesof the mechanical lock arranged between the free end-box and the slide or machine way must exceed the total of all rolling and sliding resistances of the entire slide cover plus the pressure required for closing the lock.

With larger slide covers, it has been found convenient to provide at'least one carrier arm with aslide memb'er'on'the carriage or table, the carrier arm extending. into the box fixed to said carriage or table where the sliding surface ofthe slide member or slider rests against the top plate of the free-end-boxand supports the entire slide cover when the slide cover is fully telescoped together. With this arrangement, the guide bars or guiding rails extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine way, and forming engaging means while beihgilocated'.

on the sideplatesof the boxes may be omittedwithout there beingany dangerof the slide coverdisintegrating, whenhanging'over the ends of the machine ways.

According to a further development of the invention, the coupling means may be designed in the form of suction cups, or other convenient means. It is also possible to employ different coupling means with one and the same slide cover.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a carriage 2 is displaceable in the longitudinal direction on a guideway 1 of a machine tool (not shown). The slide cover for protecting guideway 1 comprises four boxes 3, 4, 5, 6 fixed to carriage 2. Each box 3, 4, 5, 6 consists of a cover plate parallel to the plane of the guideway, and two sideplates which are angled off at the lower end by 90 so as to form guide bars in the longitudinal direction of the machine way. A support plate 7, 8, 9, 10 is arranged between the sideplates of each box 3, 4, 5, 6. The smallest box 6 is closed at its outer end by an end plate 11 extending down to the way. The largest box 3 rests with its support plate 7 on carriage 2 and is fixed to the latter by means of a flange l2. Rollers l3, 14, 15 running on way 1 are supported in support plates 8, '9, 10 of boxes 4, 5, 6. The rollers are staggered so that support plates 7, 8, 9, 10 can be pushed closer together. Sliders 16, 17, 18 are accommodated in the sideplates of boxes 4, 5, 6, and rest against the outer edge of way 1 and accurately guide the sliding cover in the lateral direction. Strippers 19, 20, 21 are provided between top plates and sideplates of boxes 3, 4, 5, 6 to remove water, chips, and dust from top plates and sideplates when the elements of the slide cover are telescoped together. When the slide cover is extended, the strippers move against stops formed by supporting plates 8, 9, 10 slightly extended beyond the plane of the top plates, these strippers then acting as pushers.

In the slide cover illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, a magnet 22, 23, 24 is fixed in the middle of the outside of each supporting plate 8, 9, 10. Two further magnets 25 are fixed on the inside of end plate 11 below the way plane, so that they can move up against the bed of way 1. ln the telescoped condition of the slide cover, magnets 22, 23, 24 come to rest against support plates 7, 8, 9, pertaining to the next larger box 3, 4, 5, and located in front of said magnets. In this telescoped condition illustrated in FIG. 1 the slide cover can be pushed in the form of a cantilever beyond the end of way 1 without the boxes dropping down or becoming separated. In order to ensure this, the holding force of magnet 22 must be greater, for instance, than the accelerating or inertia force acting during braking or starting of slide 2 on coupled boxes 4, 5, and 6. The retaining force of magnet 25 must be greater than the total of all holding and sliding resistances occurring in the entire slide cover so that box 6 can detach itself from the bed of way 1 only when the entire slide cover is telescoped together.

The slide cover illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 9, consists of four boxes 3, 4, 5, 6. Mechanical locks are arranged between support plates 7, 8, 9, 10. Each of the locks comprises a lockpin 26, 28, and and a bolting lock 27, 29 and 31. One of these mechanical locks comprising a lockpin 32 and a bolting lock 33 is also arranged on end face 11 of the smallest box 6 in the bed of way 1. Each lock pin 26, 28, 30, 32 is screwed into a flanged plate 34 and is equipped with a head 35 with a constriction. Guides 36, each for one bolt 37, are arranged on support plates 8, 9, 10 in the bed of way 1. Bolt 37 is displaceably supported by means of a dovetail guide and/or guide pins 38 on or in guide 36, transverse to the longitudinal direction of the way, against the pressure of springs 39. ln this way, head 35 provided with a constriction and pertaining to lockpin 26, 28, 30, 32 can snap into a recess of bolt 37, said recess being slightly offset with respect to the path of motion of bolt 37.

Also the slide cover illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 13 consists of four boxes 3, 4, 5, 6. In this arrangement, two flanged plates, each with a carrier arm 41 of T-shaped cross section is fixed on the inside of support plate 7 of the largest box 3. Carrier arms 41 carry slides 42 on their free ends. Arms 41 grip through holes 43 in support plates 8, 9, 10 of the other boxes 4, 5, 6 when the slide cover is telescoped together. In the telescoped condition of the slide cover, the sliding faces of slider 42 rest against the inside of the top plate of the smallest box 6 and support the entire slide cover. In this embodiment of the slide cover, the gripping part of the sideplates of boxes 3, 4, 5, 6 can be dispensed with as there is no danger that the boxes will separate when they are telescoped together and reach beyond way 1 of the machine bed.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 17, and comprising magnets 44, 45, 46, 47, no magnets are arranged on support plates 8, 9 of the two boxes 4 and 6. However, central box 5 has a supporting plate 48 with a recess into which a magnet 45 is inserted. Furthermore, magnets 46 are arranged on the outside of support plate 48. The advantage of this arrangement consists in that boxes 4 and 6 require no fixing means at all for the magnets.

The sliding cover illustrated in FIGS. 18 to 21 consists of four boxes 49, 50, 51, and 52, but unlike the arrangement described above, the smallest box 52 is by means of flange 12 fixed to slide 2. Also in this arrangement, central boxes 52, 51, and 50 have a support plate 53, 54 55 in which rollers l3, l4, and 15 are supported. The free end-box 49, which is the largest box, is closed by end face 56. A magnet 57, 58 and 59 is fixed to the outside of each support plate 53, 54 and 55. Since with this arrangement the smallest and weakest box 52 rests with its end plate 60 on slide 2, there are provided two additional carriers 61. Two magnets 62 are fixed to the inside of end face 56 of the largest box 49 below the way plane. The action of this slide cover corresponds to that of the embodiments described above.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the specific showing in the drawings, but also comprises modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with guideway means of a machine tool for protecting said guideway means, a slide cover which includes: a plurality of box-shaped members telescopically movable into and out of each other; each of said box-shaped members comprising a top plate and two sideplates extending in the longitudinal direction of said guideway means, each of said box-shaped members also comprising supporting plate means adapted to engage and to be supported by said guideway means, one of the outer ones of said box-shaped members being provided with an end face wall (and being adapted to be connected to a reciprocable member of said machine tool) and coupling means between at least two adjacent box-shaped members and between said end face wall and the next box-shaped member, said coupling means being operable automatically to couple the respective adjacent boxshaped members to each other in response to the said respective box-shaped members with the coupling means therebetween having been telescoped into each other to their possible maximum extent to thereby permit all box-shaped members when telescoped into each other to move beyond the end of said guideway so as to form a cantilever.

2. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which said sideplates also extend underneath a portion of said guideway means.

3. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which said coupling means include magnets.

4. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 3, in which said magnets are permanent magnets.

5. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which said coupling means include mechanical locking means.

6. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 5, in which said mechanical locking means include a pin and a pin receiving means operable in the manner of a snap button.

7. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 5, in which said mechanical locking means includes a pin having recess means provided in its circumference and being connected to one box-shaped member, and also includes spring-urged sliding means connected to the box-shaped member adjacent said last-mentioned box-shaped member and continuously urged in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of said pin for engagement with said recess means when the respective boxshaped members with said locking means therebetween are telescoped into each other to their maximum extent.

when said box-shaped members are telescoped into each other.

9. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which the smallest box-shaped member isprovided with reinforcing means.

10. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which one of said outer box shaped members is provided with additional coupling means for coupling engagement with said guideway means, the holding force exerted by said coupling means being in excess of the total of the rolling and sliding resistance of all of said box-shaped members. 

1. In combination with guideway means of a machine tool for protecting said guideway means, a slide cover which includes: a plurality of box-shaped members telescopically movable into and out of each other; each of said box-shaped members comprising a top plate and two sideplates extending in the longitudinal direction of said guideway means, each of said box-shaped members also comprising supporting plate means adapted to engage and to be supported by said guideway means, one of the outer ones of said box-shaped members being provided with an end face wall (and being adapted to be connected to a reciprocable member of said machine tool) and coupling means between at least two adjacent box-shaped members and between said end face wall and the next box-shaped member, said coupling means being operable automatically to couple the respective adjacent box-shaped members to each other in response to the said respective boxshaped members with the coupling means therebetween having been telescoped into each other to their possible maximum extent to thereby permit all box-shaped members when telescoped into each other to move beyond the end of said guideway so as to form a cantilever.
 2. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which said sideplates also extend underneath a portion of said guideway means.
 3. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which said coupling means include magnets.
 4. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 3, in which said magnets are permanent magnets.
 5. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which said coupling means include mechanical locking means.
 6. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 5, in which said mechanical locking means include a pin and a pin receiving means operable in the manner of a snap button.
 7. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 5, in which said mechanical locking means includes a pin having recess means provided in its circumference and being connected to one box-shaped member, and also includes spring-urged sliding means connected to the box-shaped member adjacent said last-mentioned box-shaped member and continuously urged in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of said pin for engagement with said recess means when the respective box-shaped members with said locking means therebetween are telescoped into each other to their maximum extent.
 8. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, which includes an arm extending in the longitudinal direction of said guideway means and connectable to a reciprocable member of a machine tool and a sliding member connected to said arm for sliding engagement with the inner side of said top plate when said box-shaped members are telescoped into each other.
 9. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which the smallest box-shaped member is provided with reinforcing means.
 10. A slide cover arrangement according to claim 1, in which one of said outer box-shaped members is provided with additional coupling means for coupling engagement with said guideway means, the holding force exerted by said coupling means being in excess of the total of the rolling and sliding resistance of all of said box-shaped members. 